When was the last time you had a proper belly laugh? The lovely folk at Cartoon Network have come up with a top ten list of the things that make us laugh the most, and you know I'm a sucker for a light hearted chart. I have to say WhatsApp chats with my friends do provide frequent laughs, but a lot of the news cycle these days is pure doom and gloom. Perhaps the 'and finally' quirky story at the end of the bulletin needs to make a comeback, especially having just endured weeks of budget speculation and so-called 'kite flying'.. Social media can be an angry place too, as I've written in the pas
10 - A perfectly executed prank (22%) - I grew up in an era of Beadle's About and You've Been Framed. Before amusing clips were instantly available online, it was VHS tapes sent in of people falling in swimming pools and the like, in exchange for the princely sum of £250 (which didn't seem to rise with inflation, unlike the cost of almost everything).
9 - Trousers splitting or falling down (23%) - I almost had a wardrobe malfunction whilst hosting the 2016 Ilkley Business Awards, when I'd been fitted for a suit a while before the event, and didn't think to check it still fitted OK when I picked it up. Cue the biggest ever intake of breath and hoping for the best. I've never enjoyed undoing my trouser button as much.
8 - Dad jokes (23%) - My favourite is probably this one - My wife rearranged the labels on my spice rack. Haven't confronted her yet, but the thyme is cumin. I always find it really amusing when you tell someone a joke and there isn't even a hint of a smile. Which sadly seems to happen to me quite often.
7 - Someone getting the giggles in a serious situation (28%) - from an important meeting to reading out a news story on the radio, there is literally nothing worse than a fit of the giggles for the person it happens to. For the rest of us, it's absolutely hilarious. Probably the best example that springs to mind is Charlotte Green on Radio 4's Today programme, getting a fit of the giggles after playing a clip of the world's oldest known recording of the human voice.
6 - Watching someone try not to laugh (30%) - similar to the last one, it's probably happened to you at some point. The more you try not to laugh, the worse it gets. It can be the smallest thing that triggers it too.
5 - Babies reacting to their own reflection (30%) - boffins say that whilst they may look at their reflection from a very young age, the ability to truly recognise it as themselves doesn't happen until they are about 18 months old. These days, I'm more likely to cry at my own reflection, as I remember my slimmer year in 2022 when I did Slimming World and lost three stone.
4 - Being tickled (34%) - this is not remotely entertaining. Why did anyone vote for this?! Also, do this in an office, and rightly expect to be hauled before HR. Next!
3 - A comedy TV show (38%) - as long as it's not Mrs Brown's Boys, I'd go along with that. My favourites when there is nowt on the box include Still Game, Two Doors Down and of course my radio hero Alan Partridge, played by the always fab Steve Coogan. I also loved The Fast Show in my student days.
2 - Kids saying the funniest things or toddlers accidentally dropping a naughty word (39%) - the lack of a filter can often lead to amusing moments. I don't have kids, but my nephew has said a few post-watershed words lately to test the boundaries!
1 - Funny animal videos (41%) - who doesn't love a cat video montage? Along with angry dash cam compilations, they are often at the top of my YouTube playlist.
Life can be tough. There's a lot of serious stuff to deal with. So it's really important that we take some time off the treadmill of worry to have a giggle. With that in mind, I'm off to rewatch Superbad (2007) for next week's film column...one of my all-time favourite comedies!
Alex Cann's weekly blog - 9th January
